Monthly Archives: December 2009

As I was enjoying the refreshing air blow into my car as I departed Orlando after a fantastic Father/son week of fine dining, football, oceans, coastal plane rides, family reunions, comfortable suites, walks, and antique fairs, I had time to reflect on the last few days.

No blackberry, no computer, and with the exception of one call prior and one post, not a need for work.

The sun was setting and the roads were open and with the time to recover from my emergency room visit last week and a little grey setting in I didn’t conclude that I was expendable; quite the opposite. I realized how important I was to the continued flow of my team and the organization. By having a team built on trust and commitment, I was comfortable knowing my work was in the proper hands and would be ready for a smooth transition upon my return.

That is a true sign of worth. Stability, teamwork, knowledge and autonomy made this vacation a reality. Not to mention a very memorable birthday for my dad and costly for me. All worth it though.

Many of us strive to be noticed. Dare I say we seek to get our “Fifteen Minutes of Professional Fame” In this economy there is some truth is getting noticed but let it not jeopardize your health, your family and your own sanity.

If you are successful and results driven, it is noticed. Be comfortable in the knowledge that others believe in what you are accomplishing and they will step up when you need a break.

Take a break and spend time with those that are important in your life.

I want to spend a little time discussing some of the observations and conversations that have come across my circle of existence in the last week.

Before I begin, I would like to let the audience know that I have come into a tremendous amount of new wealth as a result of winning the UK National Lottery and Irish National Lottery all within the time frame of one week. Once I send in all my personal information to the Lottery officials via email I should have the checks very shortly. For those that believe they have won based on similar emails, it’s too late..I won. Go ahead and delete the emails now. I will wait.

I got an very nice and professional call on Tuesday about a role I had that was filled over six weeks ago. I was ready to graciously call the candidate and explain the timing of the interest. The only concern was the time of the call. I believe that a professional with a strong external focus should not have traditional business hours of contact but limits should exist. Please jump in with an opinion. Is 1:45 AM too late to call about a potential career opportunity? If I am wrong I would be most happy to declare to the world that I am wrong and that is an appropriate time for a call.

My brother-in-law in a discussion over brunch, while my brother is teaching my nine year old nephew blackjack, our waitress is searching for bumper stickers, my dad is stealing Splenda and I am rejoicing over how normal my family is, explained that the Lord knows all that will happen. I inquired and asked if he believed in free will. My brother-in-law said “of course” but the Lord still knows everything that will happen. He said that was one of the unexplainable things in life.

After I had a minor head spinning incident I decided nodding was my best course of action.

Canvas of Clouds
Valleys of Red Rock
Rivers empty into the guardians of the hills
Valleys are the eternal footprints in time
Etchings in the hills
Miles of green color our land

From ocean to ocean; sea to sea
In the belly of the canyon is the heart of this great land

The faces of heroes echo off the mountains
Plains stretch from state to state
Patches of farmland remind us of pastures ahead
Bison roam, cows graze, birds sing

Reach out your hands, join together and sing out loud
Men, women and children join as one
Raise your hats to the sky
Let the wings of freedom reign high above the clouds

(Music)

Essence of America
Smiles of children
Laughter like waves crashing on the shore
Cliffs hover a million miles below
The bottomless ocean fills out infinite dreams
Cars racing search of a a paradise called America

Teachers praise freedom; soldiers defend it; and children dream of it

Peace is a five letter word that can be seen through the eyes of a newborn
Mother Liberty our keeper and protector
Waving at the Staten Island Ferry
In her arms, freedom is safe bearing the words of our forefathers
Guarding her two children peace and independence

Prisons filled with oppression
Our homes a fortress
Together, hand in hand we will find the answer

The holiday season is now in full swing and that entails Thanksgiving, holiday work parties, friend bashes and of course the night of all gluttony and sin (Not Mardi Gras), New Year’s Eve. You don’t have to watch infromercials at three in the morning to know that physical fitness, exercise and diets are the buzz words for this and every holiday season.

Of course once the clock hits midnight and we all literally feel like pumpkins, we break out the good pens and script the news years resolution that tend to last on average two to four weeks. I know some of you are nodding your heads and holding them up proud knowing you kept your resolutions in tact. You keep telling yourself that.

After all the abs rollers are worn out and the running shoes are hung up to dry don’t lose focus on the most important part of your body, your mind.

Mental exercise and therapy are often overlooked. Many are stressed with the many trials and tribulations we are undergoing with the recession, health concerns, military deployment and excessive work hours. We are all human. We all can undergo a tremendous amount of stress but in the end, stress will always win over us.

This is a reminder to everyone young and old. Take time to relax. Listen to some quiet music, light candles, read a book you have been putting off, take a vacation by yourself and find some inner peace. Do not let work take over you. It will be there when you come back. Be careful and exercise your mind with stimulation, comfort and challenge but have fun with it.

This public broadcast message was brought to you by the Letter “P” and by the fine residents of Sesame Street.

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